All the recent posts from people hoping to improve their opening game has piqued
my interest. My opening game is an abysmal disgrace worthy only of scorn and
derision. I must take the blame for this sorry state of affairs, as I have always
been too lazy and indolent to do the amount of studying it would take to improve
the situation. However, I have been sufficiently aroused from my torpor recently
to put forward a modicum of effort in this regard. My question then is: Does
anyone have a recommendation for "a book on chess openings for people who don't
like to read books on chess openings"? Hopefully something that caters to a mid-
level audience that will give me a basic understanding of some of the more common
openings.
I am not real sure one really exists...my wife has been on me to write
one that would be fun...most chess books are written quite dry.
One opening book that is a little morefun to read and gives a real
good commentary on the certain ones is "Standard Chess Openings"
by Eric Schiller. This covers pretty much all of the major ones...not as
concise as MCO...but alot more talk about the idea behind the
opening. The companion.."Unorthodox Openings" is full of alot of
offbeat lines and alot of fun to read.
Dave
I've posted these before, 3 books by Eric Schiller. Reminder:
* A complete defence to Queen Pawn Openings
(based on the Tarrasch Defence)
* A complete defence to King Pawn Openings
(based on the Caro-Kann)
* A hypermodern repertoire for White
(based on the English and the Réti)
All 3 emphasising pattern recognition, instead of studying lines, and
lines...
For Dave: Do you know the old book (somewhere form the late 60s)
by Bent Larsen: 'ZOOM 001'? Larsen claims it to be "minimax system,
miminmum book-knowledge, maximum understanding. A powerfull
way of thinking chess, pattern recognition. It's based on the Grünfeld
Indian Defence, both for Black AND for White. He has selected the
games of 20 (then) grandmasters: Spassky, Stein, Fischer, Korchnoi,
Tukmakov, Gligoric, Smejkal, PortischTimman, Ribli, Uhlman et al.
You might read "Pawn Structure Chess" by A. Stoltis. It tries to suggest ways of
understanding how to handle the pawn structures that arise from different opening
families. As such, it's more of a middle game book than an opening book, but
perhaps you can use it to decide which openings you could use to lead into the
types of games that you like to play.
I would also suggest Fine's "Ideas Behind the Chess Openings", but it takes a
little work (though not as much as a pure book of openings...). It offers the
basics and variations of the major openings, grouped into four families: 1.e4 e5;
1. e4, others; 1.d4 d5; and 1. d4 others. This is nice, but the book isn't quite
as annotated as I had hoped. I was really looking for a book that says: "See how
this move does this to this piece's range? See how moving here instead of here
helps support this and weaken that..." Fine's book is a good start, and probably
the best low-commitment book you'll find for openings. But it wasn't as basic as
I was hoping for when I first read it.
'Ideas behind the Chess Openings' by Rueben Fine dates from 1946,
re-edited and only meagerly updated in... 1983. I'm not sure whether
it was at The Chess Cafe, but I read an (independent, not book-
seller's!) review and that was extremely negative. Completely out of
date. Rueben Fine, once a great chessplayer, is in his early 80s and
hasn't followed the development of chess theory. The final advice of
the reviewer: Don't buy this bokk...
Of great help might be the ChessBase Training Vourse CD-ROM by
Gary Gauthier: ABC of the Chess Openings (low cost, appr. $ 22.50).
That's the sad news for Mac-users (though the Rolls Royce in PC-land,
I've been told). There's so much software around useless for the
Macs. Bill Gates' triumph?
It's a pity, because the ChessBase Training CD-ROMs are of high
(chess)quality. A hint: let your search-machine look for something like:
'Learn Chess Openings' or better: 'Chess Opening Books'. Be creative
and type variations on that. Add the word 'Review'. Only trust reviews
by independents, don't believe the editors' and shops' sales talk.
They have only in mind that you buy the book, good or bad. Pay a
visit to The Chess Cafe's archives. Read also the negative review of
Rueben Fine's 'Ideas behind the chess openings'. It's free and they
have lots of reviews. I know that it takes some work to do, but that's
fun too. If you haven't the time (I have, being retired), tell me. Try to
help you out. Try also 'Chessopolis'. Cheerio!
The other day I noticed an ad for a recent book called "The Ideas
behind the Modern Chess Opening". Sorry can't remember the author
but it was a British IM/GM. Presumably he takes Reti's concept and
applies it to the modern game. Could be a very useful book.
Are you sure this is the correct title, Mac? When I type it in my search
machine, there's not one result coming out. It usually does. Of
course, mentioning the author offers a greater chance to find what you
are looking for. You can look at the sites of:
* The London Chess Centre
* Gambit Chess Books
* Batsford Chess Books
* Cadogan Chess Books
or ask chess books-reviewer Randy Bauer at The Chess Cafe
Have a look myself around the Web.
Cheerio
hey there
why dont you try the good old spanish gambits i will give you a game
and get you accustomed to the opening if you wish and also try some
other openings.BENONI, ALEKHINE, ENGLISH DEFENCE, KING/QUEEN'S
INDIAN. 2 name a few
Dear chris/ruzz
Is it possible to open another account to teach some one openings
any body may moniter the games so cannot cheat to get points.
YOURS
Ryan James
Didn't you retire Cazper? You could use that account for teaching?
I think it'd be great if some/many of the better players would do
something like that!!! have a "teaching nick" where you are willing to
play/discuss an ongoing game. Easy to quit/resign games because it's
not for ratings its for explaining.
There is a cheap and easy way to avoid working hard on openings.
Is playing two defense only, pirc against e4 and kings indian defense
against d4 or c4, no matter what your oponent moves, you play the
same structure.
But there is a problem, you have to feel good in that positions that
usually arent confortable. This was the way i started playing and
became a good knower in this kind of positions.
Sometimes is useful seeing games from GMs in the positions you play
because you learn the ideas of these positions and helps a lot..........
I'm not sure that's a good suggestion, Boby, though it seems it has
helped you. Particularly the King's Indian is a very deeply analysed
opening, with myriad variations, sub-variations and sub-sub-variations
and so on and so forth. Personally I still stick to my post of 13th
March (see that post herunder).
After you've mastered these books by Schiller, you can try out more
specific openings and find out which positions suit you best.
I have Nunn's 'The Ultimate Pirc'... Much too encyclopaedic to my
taste. With White I (as for the moment) always play 1.d4. 1.c4, the
English is good, but also with so many variations. I know, there are so
many Black answers to that. If Black goes for the Queen's Gambit
Declined I always choose the Exchange Variation, to limit Black's reply.
When he/she goes for the Queen's Gambit Accepted I only play 3.e4.
As I until now only -somehow- mastered the Tarrasch Defence with
Black against 1.d4 and most other White openings, except 1.e4, I
play to the latter mostly 1.d5 (Scandinavian Defence) and 1.Nf6
(Alekine Defence). Later I'll go for Schiller's Caro-Kann-based 1.-/c6
against 1.e4. It's a study subject in itself to create one's own opening
repertoire, without 'knowing it all'. There's enough material in
a 'limited opening repertoire' for playing interesting and varied
games. Good luck, lads and lasses!